Once upon a time, the apples were sweet and the glass slipper always fit. As time went on, happily ever after still seemed in reach, but it also seemed as though it was a stretch. By the end, the apples turned sour and the glass slipper started to shatter; happily ever after was no longer in reach.

Love can be a funny game. When one starts a relationship, it can be uncomfortable and awkward getting used to your significant other.

THE BEGINNING

The beginning can be awkward but fun at the same time; it’s the honeymoon stage.

“Like all relationships, it’s awkward at first when you are trying to get to know someone you’ve  never met before, but after I started to talk to [them] for a while, I started to realize we had a lot in common,” freshman Chloe Martinez said.

Getting to know someone can be fun and exciting. It can make a relationship interesting finding out more about that special someone.

“It’s really special to me being able to open up to someone and being able to share things with them that you don’t usually share with other people,” senior Derek Olsen said.

Sharing experiences with someone special can be an incredible feeling. There is someone there to listen and understand. Being a good listener and being able to understand them can be the best part about one’s relationship.

“The best parts of the beginning of a relationship are the laughs and the smiles when you guys are with each other,” Martinez said. “Having a relationship with a person that you are happy to be around is the best.”

THE MIDDLE

When the honeymoon stage starts to fade, the relationship can turn into something familiar and comfortable.

“Once we hit the middle of our relationship, we became really comfortable and since we knew each other completely, we also had a stronger friendship,” junior Karina Steitz said.

Even though familiarity may hit, it may seem as if there is a new best friend in one’s life. They may experience having a best friend along with a significant other.

“The middle of a relationship feels like having a best friend by your side day and night,” junior Braden Buehlman said.

Throughout the middle of one’s relationship, they might also go through rough patches. Even though the rough patches may be difficult, most still seem to find the fairy tale worth fighting for.

“We fought a little but it was over stupid stuff like little arguments,” Steitz said. “The middle was really fun for me. I loved his family and we would all go to see his games.”

THE END

As the honeymoon phase completely disappears, a relationship might not be what it used to be; the pair in the relationship may start to lose sight of what they are really there for: each other.

“He was my first love so it was really hard to let go because we did everything together,” junior Abby Pyburn. “I was very upset but I had to do what was best for me. I was very emotionally unstable for a while because he took a toll on me. I just know that it was the best for me and I had to do it.”

Having someone in one’s life for so long and then experiencing all the love wash away can be painful. An end to a relationship is difficult and many people have different ways that they face it. Some may be sad while others are understanding and know that it’s for the best.

“It was tough to get over,” junior Kevin Tebbe said. “We both want to still be good friends so we set up a plan to give each other a week to ourselves then hang out one more time and this really made it easier to overcome.”

When the sour apple becomes poisonous and the glass slipper becomes painfully small, nothing is sweet nor fits anymore, then it’s the end of a relationship. Reality sets in and the fairytale is finally over; the slipper finally breaks. The relationship is complete.